had a lady call me yesterday-
'got a puppy for £50 2weeks ago, its 6 months old, got one eye and is fitting alot'- deep breath.....i replied 'yes?...'

'well i took it to vets and they told me off fror buying a 'duff pup' so i want to see another vet for a 2nd opinion, that vet told me that it would need blood tests and i cant afford that- im on benefits and have 3 disabled children'

so i told her if she could take it back to 'breeder' and she said- she doesnt want it back- and anyway i love it now.

i told her to bring pup down- she said she cant afford much, but i said the health of the pup is important and that he needs help- we could arrange the finance- installment etc.

she came down and vet looked at the poor thing- it was awfully skinny and its hair looked bad too, it did have an eye- but it was deformed and shrunk.

the poor thing will need blood tests if we are to find out what is wrong with it, but they cant afford it- i said that this pup will cost money ALL its life and if they cant afford it now than they must think of either rehoming or pts! sad but thats how poorly he is.

why would someone like this take on an ill pup? you would think that in her family situation that she could think rationally for the sake of her financial security.  what do you do! what can i suggest to her, at the moment all they can think of is how 'cute' he is, im leaving my job this week- i see cases like this very often- and its driving me mad, but i care.

what you do?

Don't you want to slap them? 

My OH made me cost out everything before we bought our pup and we are not on benefits.  Dogs cost money, they are a luxury and not to be taken on lightly.  She's got 3 disabled kids and now a disabled dog.  As money is already tight, when things need buying who will come first?

My mum has a saying "What's bought cheap costs dear in the long run" So true!

Oh lord, poor baby. This puppy needs to be put to sleep. That would be my decision. The puppy is too sick for the make do and mend option, I don't think it would be right to prolong the misery on the cheap. The pup needs to be  put to sleep to save it from further suffering.

Dawn R.

thankyou dawn- we realised that, but on their first visit we didnt want to seem too forward as these people needed to have some trust in us, so what we did was just talk to them, and said you know its a major consideration to be pts, but then vet said but if your willing to be good dog owners and treat this pup then we could try? that vet is a bit of a softy, if it was me i would have said the kindest thing you can do for him is pts. he is obviously damaged inside, his heart sounded ok though?!

i feel very limited as im not a vet, i think what i'l do is give them a friendly call and chat to her- not being a vet nurse just a friend, and i may be able to talk properly to her.

then vet said but if your willing to be good dog owners and treat this pup then we could try?

I know that it's hard but I think that there are some times when we should consider the dog first and not do things just because we can..... :(

oh god. :(
give the poor little mite some rest

well yes val- we know, but what happens is that if we say something the client doesnt like they simply dont come back and never 'risk' taking him to vets again!

youll just have to make them see sense  :( be as gentle as you can
id would probaly cry telling them.
tell them he will be suffering & its just not fair. poor little soul. im near tears just thinking about him)

No win situation eh?

yep, i do sometimes nearly cry, but its more bewildering really.

This si where I find the breeder (puppy prodcuer) at fault.

As breeders it is down to us to make sensible and often hard decisions.

I feel strongly that no pup that will have a compromised quality of life should be reared, let alone sold on or even given away to someone else.

Plenty of healthy dogs put down daily without knowingly saddling people with ones with poor health from the start.

If a breeder wishes to save every life no matter how poorly then they should keep the pups themselves, though if they feel like that I question whether they have what is needed to be a breeder.